CZ20001409A3 - Cutting process and cutting system in forestry - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, there is disclosed a method for forest harvesting by means of a harvesting machine (1) comprising a vehicle (2) and a harvesting arrangement (3) mounted on the vehicle (2). Characteristics of a forest portion in question being, prior to harvesting, registered, analyzed and processed to a database having a high geographical accuracy and a high precision as to the characteristics of the forest stand, a harvesting plan being made based on the database and the result of the harvesting being compared to the harvesting plan, a first computer arrangement (31) being provided on the vehicle (2), said computer arrangement (31) being adapted to register quality and/or size with regard to harvested pieces of timber, characterized in that harvesting is carried out by means of a position determining device (5) arranged on the harvesting machine (1) and capable of determining, by means of wirelessly receivable signals, the position of the harvesting machine (1) or the harvesting arrangement (3), that data regarding the position of the harvesting machine (1) or the harvesting arrangement (3) are coordinated, by means of the first computer arrangement (31) with data regarding quality and/or size of pieces of timber. The first computer arrangement (31) is adapted to control a marking device (9) for marking each piece of timber (10) with a position information or a code, by means of which the respective piece of timber (10) can be associated with a position information stored in the database based on the position information received from said position determining device (5).

Description

Method of logging and logging system in forestry

Technical field

The invention relates to a method and a system for timber harvesting and forestry, according to the preamble of the appended claims 1, 2, 4, 17 and 25.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At the same time, normal logging and related operations are carried out relatively primitively in the sense that the forest material is treated almost as a bulk product. Although standing forest trees are evaluated as a preparation for a certain logging, they are rather rough. Therefore, the actual result may be significantly different from the theoretically calculated result. Another problem with the current logging technique is that it tends to run to a relatively small extent, in the sense that only one seller and one buyer of timber is usually involved in certain logging. The boundaries between individual forest owners must be carefully assessed, as a result of the fact that the forest material cannot be identified in detail. Another fact is that the driver of the current mining machine has very little support in carrying out the mining work. Although there is usually a computer on the logging machine itself for determining the cross-section, the computer does not obtain any connection to the tree being processed other than that obtained by contact between the logging machine of the logging machine and the tree. That is why there is a legitimate reason «·

- 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 0 * 00 0 0 00 0 0 00 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 to claim that refinement can be improved determination of cross-section.

The above disadvantages result in considerable costs.

A large range of planning and administrative work is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to create conditions for the rationalization of forest logging and its planning.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is an attempt to provide improved possibilities for correcting mining plans, in a rational manner, taking into account the actual mining result.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is an attempt to create conditions for providing improved computer support to a driver of a mining machine, wherein fully automated steering is primarily intended for the mining machine.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is an attempt to create conditions such that the raw timber is not treated as an anonymous bulk product but as a product having a designation of origin.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is an attempt to create just better monitoring of logging schedules for timber withdrawal, later in the chain of processing of individual logs, and information regarding the actual utilization rate of individual logs.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is an attempt to reduce the problem associated with locating individual strains in the field, processed by mining machines. Such location is usually carried out by the carrier whose task is to take the log out of the forest.

The first aspect of the invention is based on the fact that it is possible to produce highly detailed and accurate databases concerning remote registration and analysis techniques relating to:

- 3 characteristics of trees in the forest as well as geological conditions. For example, the aim may include a very state of the forest, a state of its own geographical and the database thus obtained, which provides a detailed and accurate picture of the state of the forest, to determine the position of individual trees with an accuracy of several decimeters to centimeters. Quality and content should be carefully estimated for individual trees. By way of example,. that the resolution of this database should be such that the forest planner using an ordinary computer mouse should be able to click on a single tree and reverse and rotate it, as well as obtain a computer's prediction (view) of the cross-section. In this context, the invention seeks to create conditions for very accurate and rapid monitoring of the mining plan with feedback on actual mining data. This particular aspect of the invention is disclosed in the appended claim 1.

A second aspect of the invention is achieved as particularly defined in the appended claim 2, wherein claim 3 defines an optimum development consisting in the automatic control of the harvesting machine during timber harvesting. This aspect of the invention is based on the determination of the exact position of the mining machine, and in particular its mining equipment, according to the invention. Since the logging plan is determined to be extremely accurate and, in addition, the location of the logging equipment can be accurately determined in the field, the logging equipment can be specifically controlled according to a pre-processed logging plan so that predetermined trees become the subject of logging. This creates opportunities for highly advanced logging with a computer where the logger driver gets first and foremost a precise assignment, i.e. it is assumed that the logger and its logging equipment are automatically driven to the trees selected for logging.

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A third aspect of the invention is achieved as defined in appended claim 4.

Accordingly, the present invention provides that according to a method of forest harvesting by means of a logging machine comprising a vehicle and a logging apparatus mounted on a vehicle, the position of the logging machine in conjunction with tree felling is determined and at least one individual tree-derived log is identified by location information or code by means of which said individual strain can be associated with the actual position information stored in the database.

The individual trunk thus obtained will become a separate unit with the possibility of being linked to the relevant place of the forest stand, which means that the individual forest owner is able to determine with certainty whether the particular trunk belongs to him or someone else .

Converting raw wood from bulk to stand-alone units that are capable of being identified, as described above, not only means that many sellers can comfortably stay away from their products, but also that many buyers can be served in one and the same location logging. When this inventive idea is fully utilized, the position information indicated on the individual trunks is intended to determine as precisely as possible to which tree the individual trunk originates. It is also intended that the analysis of the condition of the wood carried out before harvesting is carried out as described below. by a remote analysis technique so that the position of each individual tree can be unambiguously determined, and the quality and volume of the wood can also be estimated with fairly high precision. Such an accurate analysis carried out in advance means creating the conditions for a very accurate calculation of the yield of a certain extraction carried out in advance. Furthermore, many logging can be managed very deliberately so that exactly those trees,

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- 5 to be extracted for optimum results have also been actually extracted. According to the invention, the computer equipment provided on the harvesting machine can be adapted to control the harvesting machine on the basis of data based on the preliminary analysis of the forest area and the harvesting instructions established thereon so that only those trees that have been predetermined for harvesting mining. Such high resolution, i.e., at the level of a single tree, can be achieved if accurate forest registration is performed using photographic or other sensing techniques, and these sensing are precisely coordinated to the geographically correct conditions. In addition, a very high resolution is required for a positioning device provided on a mining machine. Such a high resolution is currently achievable by means of a GPS (Global Positioning System) based on satellite. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the marking on the individual trunks to be cut into boards is scanned prior to cutting, and the marking information is stored so that the boards originating from a single trunk may thus be provided with a marking including at least or a code by which an individual log can be assigned to a forest site. At the same time, conditions are created for the subsequent checking of the mining result, both in terms of quality and volume. It is possible to reconcile information about the actual yield of planks from a single log and identification information with respect to the exact location of the individual log in the saw so that an accurate assessment of the yield of the individual tree can be made. The landowner gains significantly better opportunities to check that the current state of the forest, according to the assessment of standing forest trees, also indeed results in the expected economic yield and that it is not substantially reduced in the wood processing chain, for example as a result of incorrect cross-section or other inadequate processing from another perspective.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the computer equipment is adapted to determine and register the position of the logging equipment at the time of unloading the individual logs to be processed from the logging equipment, and such position information is stored in a database or data carrier for use. In this way, it is ensured that individual strains can be safely found in the field. In this context, it is particularly advantageous that the position information about the individual logs is transmitted to the driver of the vehicle, so that it can easily move the vehicle to the individual logs. . According to developments, the movement of the vehicle is designed to be fully automatic under the control of a computer, based on location information, as well as preliminary forest condition planning.

Although the optimum advantage of the invention is achievable when the preliminary analysis and logging are carried out with accuracy corresponding to the resolution of individual tree orders, as mentioned above, a lower resolution may be used when the inventive idea is implemented to a lesser extent, e.g. in the order of one or several meters.

Description of the drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view explaining how data obtained from aircraft can be

- 7 9 «9« · * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 7 7 7 7 7 · · · ·. Or otherwise used for landscape representation in a digital topographic model with high mapping accuracy, Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the state of the forest, where Fig. 2a shows an aerial picture of a part of the forest in more detail Fig. 2b shows a side view of a normal part of the forest and Fig. 2c schematically illustrates a part of the forest in a top view, Fig. 3 illustrates how landscape data and forest resource data can be combined to facilitate strategic planning Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a logging machine in a practical working situation; Fig. 5 illustrates schematically how a logging organization can be coupled to an operating center; Fig. 6 is a schematic view trying to explain; how the identity and origin of a particular strain can be monitored during operations to the customer as a result of the labeling method of the invention in FIG. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view of the output end of a cutting device provided with cutting means; Fig. 8 is a schematic illustration of one end of a log according to the invention; Fig. 9 is a perspective view schematically of a marking device. with marking means displaceably disposed between an active and inactive position, FIG. 10 schematically illustrates a punch-shaped marking means; FIGS. 11a and 11b schematically show an alternative marking device; FIG. Fig. 13 shows a perspective view of a cleaning device in conjunction with a saw inlet; Fig. 14 shows a schematic view of a mining machine provided with a positioning device consisting of a positioning unit of a mining machine vehicle and means for determining the position of the mining installation with respect to this positioning unit, FIG. 15 shows an alternative solution «.

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00- 0 00 «0» 00 00 · 0 »« 00 - 8 to the solution according to Fig. 14, Fig. 16 shows another alternative, Fig. 17 shows yet another alternative, 18 schematically illustrates how a scanner arranged on a logging machine can be used to scan trees to be harvested, such that the scanning information can be used by the control unit to make decisions regarding cross-section or cross-section prediction and Fig. 19 is a schematic illustration of how data can be registered and utilized to achieve a very rational logging system in forestry in the practice of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to take full advantage of the present invention, it is desirable to provide a basis for high-quality forest management decisions. On the one hand, there is an effort to create land-related descriptions (geology, quaternary geology, natural geography, hydrology, climatology, pedology, climatology, vegetation biology, nutritional geology and various planning maps) with high quality and high cost efficiency. Fig. 1 illustrates how it is possible to derive data that can be used to display a landscape in a digital topographic model with high mapping accuracy using various registration techniques, in particular from an aircraft. It is also required that the state of the forest in the relevant area of the landscape be accurately registered. Preferably, various techniques are used herein to register the condition of the forest from an aircraft, such as photogrammetry and image analysis techniques. Figures 2 and 2a show an aerial image from which individual trees can be distinguished.

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By a suitable technique of image analysis and knowledge of the characteristics of different types of trees and their natural arrangement under different conditions, it is possible to obtain a relatively precise range of wood quality and volume of individual trees. The position of individual trees can also be determined very precisely by means of truly accurate scanning techniques and sensing precise map coordinates, particularly in the order of centimeters or at least in decimeters. Figure 2c shows that there is an attempt to register individual trees in a position diverted from the center of the image, in a central projection in the imaging technique. A good evaluation of standing forest trees can be done by assessing the effect of shadow, the conicity of the tree outline, the leaf diameter and the mass of the needles, their colors, etc. This evaluation can form the basis for a great deal. Careful and accurate decisions on the logging strategy.

Fig. 3 illustrates how the landscape data shown in cross-section and forest raw material data may be combined to facilitate forest harvesting planning.

The mining machine 1 consists of a base vehicle 2a of a mining installation. 3, mounted on the vehicle 2, as shown in FIG. 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the mining device 3 is formed with respect to the base vehicle 2 by means of a crane 4. Extracting device 2 ^e j here called jednočelisťové harvesting device, i.e. the device adapted to grip a standing tree, cut it, lay the tree to the position of FIG. 4 and means of feeding means for feeding the trunk by the device, whilst increasing its limbing. The log can be cut transversely into individual pieces of wood using a cutting device. It should be pointed out that the present invention is also well applicable in this respect in cases where trunk branching is not required, i.e. where only one is carried out.

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11 1 • 1 '11 its cross-cutting into individual pieces of wood. However, the invention is also applicable to the so-called whole trunk processing, i.e., where a logging device is used to cut the tree and cut it, after which the trunk is not cut into smaller pieces laterally. The term " piece of wood used in the claims is meant in such cases, that also. covers the trunk as a whole. If necessary, the extraction device can be provided with a branching device to remove the trunk of the branches when it is conveyed by the device, also during the processing of the whole trunk. The positioning device 5 is arranged on the mining machine and can determine the position of the mining machine by means of external signals received wirelessly. It is preferred that the positioning device 5 is controlled according to a Global Positioning System (GPS). This is a satellite-based positioning system that produces very high positioning accuracy. Satellite signals are actually disturbed. In practice, disturbances are corrected by signals emitted from the ground station. These signals are received by the positioning device 5, and as a result, together with the satellite signals, the desired positioning can be very accurate.

GSP's satellite 6 is. 4, the positioning device 5 is provided with an above-ground device 7. In the enlarged circular window in FIG. 4, it is indicated how the mining machine driver has access to a computer 8 provided with a screen which is connected to the positioning device 5. . In fact, the computer may be a mining machine computer for determining the cross-section, provided with software and preferably hardware for positioning.

A marking device 9 is arranged on a mining machine 1. One embodiment of the marking device 9 is shown on. 49 19 9 9 9 9 ♦ <9 9 9 9 • * * · · 9 9. · 9 9 ·

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- 11 of FIG. 9. The marking device 2 l ^e adapted to apply markings on pieces of timber obtained from trees. The marking device 9 is controlled by a computer 13 for marking logs or pieces of wood (see for example log 10 in FIG. 8), with position information, i.e., information about the respective forest location or code by which this position information can be linked with the appropriate log or piece of wood, using position information. received from the positioning device 5. In the following, it will be described that the log or piece of wood is provided with a special code which is intended to be applied to the log or piece of wood and which is stored in the machine 8 of the logging machine. The purpose of this code is to allow tracking of other information, such as quality and / or size of the piece of timber, stored in a computer 8 _. \ The code could for example be made using a number of numerical series time information sufficiently ¹ precise, to be able to distinguish different harvested logs, etc. This code could also consist of a combination of time information and a number in numerical series, in which case this number could be a tree number. The important thing is that this code. it can serve as a basis for linking a particular log with other stored log data, such as position information of the log in the forest, the quality and / or size of the log, the forest or geological conditions related to the log, the altitude of the log, etc. The above-mentioned altitude in relation to the forest site can be achieved with the support of the GPS device.

It should be pointed out, however, that within the scope of the present invention, as marking a log or piece of timber, positioning information relating to the log or piece of timber is applied at the site of the forest stand, so that by reading this marking

to ·· · to · to · to ·

- 12 • to • to • to • to • to it to the tree connected to the forest site, without the need to remove additional data from the database. In case / if the whole logs are not intended to be processed, it is desirable to add additional location information concerning the place of the forest stand with the number of the log or wood piece location in the tree. The log or piece of wood could also be provided with additional separately removable information such as quality, size, etc. Especially when it is required to associate a substantial amount of information with the log or piece of wood, it is normal to prefer coordinating the log or piece with code, and instead of storing the relevant data in one or more databases, associate the relevant data with a log or piece of wood using code. In this context, it should be pointed out that other data that may be associated with a log or piece of timber by means of the code may be information about the actual buyer of that log or piece of timber, as well as information about the seller of that log or piece. wood

Seller information is not necessary if it were possible to connect the seller to the location of the tree in the forest. In Fig. 7, the outlet end of the logging device 3, i.e. the end where logs or pieces of wood are exiting the machine by means of a feeding means 11, is indicated. The machine has a cutting means 12 at its outlet end for cutting logs. In this embodiment, the cutting means 12 is a rotatably arranged chain saw provided with a chain on its periphery. Of course, other cutting means may also be used. In particular, the marking device according to the invention is arranged at the outlet end of the logging device such that the log or piece of wood conveyed thereto, according to one embodiment, is intended to be marked immediately after cutting from the rest of the log. Therefore, the marking can be applied to one end of a log or piece of wood that falls freely, which rather places higher demands on φφ φφ φ φ

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φφφ φ φφ φ φ speed. However, other embodiments are also well possible. Thus, the marking device may be provided with the possibility of marking the peripheral surface of the log or piece of wood after the part of this peripheral surface has been removed. According to another embodiment, it would also be possible to label a log or piece of wood without detaching it from the rest of the log, but this means that a forecast (outlook) must then be made of the quality and volume of the log or piece. If the forecast (outlook) is not correct, there will be a difference.

Another possibility of marking the log or piece of wood is to connect the marking device and the cutting device 12, for example by providing the cutting device 12 with a marking means suitable for this purpose. This may be a contact type device as well as a non-contact type device. According to a possible embodiment, the marking means can be manufactured as spraying nozzles adapted for marking, with the above-mentioned information content, a log or a piece of wood being cut. The condition for this arrangement is a relatively large number of spray nozzles. In principle, it should be possible to apply markings with substantial information content over the entire end of the log or piece of wood. Of course, reduced information content is also conceivable, especially when only one code is considered.

As shown in FIG. 8, the schematically designated strain 10 is provided with a marking 13 consisting of a matrix of punched holes to the end of the stem 10. This marking 13 also has a reference mark 14 to allow adequate reading of the matrix. The number of possible holes in the matrix can be very high, for example 100 or more, depending on the content of the required information. It is preferable to apply this marking to the end face of the log 10 or piece of wood, as this could normally facilitate the reading of the marking information.

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FIG. 9 shows how the marking device 9 consists of a body 15 in which a number of marking means 16 are arranged. This device has, in this embodiment, a punch shape that is selectively displaceable between an active, marking position and an inactive, resting position. . The punches in this exemplary embodiment are intended for their active position when extended and their inactive position when retracted. Thus, these punches are intended to be pressed against the end of the log or piece of wood so that the marking means 16, which are in the active, i.e. extended position, penetrate into the end surface of the log or piece of wood.

Fig. 5 illustrates how the forestry organization can be associated with an operations center 17, which can be connected to various forestry organization units, by telephone, radio equipment, etc. A logging machine 1 is indicated. logging is transmitted from the machine 8 of the machine to the operating center 17, and the respective signals for controlling the logging work of the logging machine 1, for example, that forest logging is directed to the currently desired assortment, are transmitted from the logging center 17 to the logging machine. Op-Center 17 is. furthermore, in contact with other logging units such as transport vehicles and forest buyers, raw materials such as sawmills and the pulp industry. Op-Center 17 can efficiently record the locations of different logging units via the GPS system and can effectively plan logging operations. Op-Center 17 will at all times have data indicating which stock volumes are available and may be available for extraction, and what qualities and volumes are considered, so that Op-Center 17 can very quickly conclude business contracts. In other ways, the operating center 17 may act as an "electronic" 0 0 · · 00 0 • · · »0

0 --0 • · ♦ • 0 · wood replacement.

FIG. 6 shows how the log 10 is prepared in a sawmill for sawing. In this figure, the inlet 18 of the saw is schematically illustrated. In conjunction with the inlet 18 of the saw there is provided a sensing device 19 which is adapted to sense the end surface of the log before cutting and to register and store image information relating to shape, for example bark diameter and thickness, and / or growth, for example tree rings width. Using information obtained from the sensor device 19 may be using the devices included in the system to create analyzes and forecasts (projections) regarding forest growth over time concerning the forest area ,, ^from where they originate pieces of timber. Mining plans can also be corrected. A condition for this is also the existence of a reading device 20 which is arranged at the entrance 18 to the saw, for reading the markings of individual logs or pieces of wood and for storing the marking information. The computer equipment associated with the saw is adapted to control an additional marking device in the saw, for generating boards from the respective trunk 10, with a code-like designation that can be associated with at least the original location of the tree in the forest. In this way, boards can be obtained which can be checked for placement in the stand, so that environmental buyers are assured that they buy boards from sources that are environmentally acceptable.

The reading device 19 and the reading device 20 may in fact consist of one and the same unit.

The marking of the log 10 or piece of wood and the reading of the marking allows the labeling to be reconciled with the actual economic yield of the log 10 or piece of wood after cutting. Dates relating to this yield and location

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00 of the log in the forest can then be compared with the information already present in the forest database, in particular with the information originally obtained in the evaluation of standing forest trees and the information applied to the log in connection with logging, using a marking device combined with logging equipment. .

FIG. 10 shows how the marking means 16 already shown in FIG. 9 could be constructed. The marking means 16 having the shape of a punch has a suitable tubular front end into which a piece of wood material is inserted after being pressed into the wood material of the trunk. . The punch of the marking means 16 has a side opening 21 through which the wood material which has entered the tubular end of the punch of the marking means 16 can get out. The punch of the marking means 16 is rotatably arranged about an axis parallel to the punching direction. the punch of the marking means 16 can be broken off from the trunk, and can be led through the outlet in the side opening 21.

In order to move the marking means 16 into the active position, this means is provided with a cam projection 22, which is adapted to both withdraw and retract the means. The protrusion 22 rotates the marker means 16 back to its initial position as it returns. The protrusion 22 may also be arranged to force retract the marking means 16, or alternatively, the spring 23 shown in FIG. 10 may serve as an alternative arrangement (or accessory).

The punch-like marking means 16 may be combined with ink marking by suitably providing the marking means 16 with an ink channel 24 through which the marking ink 16 is supplied from the source to the region of the front mouth of the marking means 16. The purpose of this arrangement is embossed at the end of the stem, or

• 000 0 · 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 .00 00 00. - 17 pieces of wood have been painted with ink so that they are clearly visible.

An alternative marking device 9 'is shown in FIG. Here, the marking means 16 consists of a series of relatively small drills arranged in a matrix and correspondingly rotatably arranged. For example, each of the drill bits may be adapted to be received in a central bore 25 of the gear 26, which is provided on its outer periphery with a gear for engaging the cam belt 26a. The markers drill 16 and the bore 25 in the gear 26 have engagement means to prevent the drills from rotating relative to the gear 26 relative to each other. When the belt 26a passes the path shown in FIG. The drills are axially displaceable relative to the gears 26, so that the desired drill bits can be brought into the active marking position by axially displacing means not shown in Fig. 11. The operation is therefore similar, 9, i.e. the drill-like marking means 16 whose movement is activated is extended while the others are kept retracted.

Another alternative marking device 9 shown in FIG. 12 has a rotating wheel body 15. Here, the marking means 16 are radially displaceable so that they can pass through the peripheral openings in this wheel. Control means are therefore arranged inside the wheel so that the marking means 16 can be selectively extended for the intended purpose. identification of the relevant log or piece of wood. The marking device of FIG. 12 could be used to mark the peripheral surface of a log, for example on a bark-free portion or otherwise through the bark or on the bark, but should also be capable of treating this wheel to mark the end surface of the log or lump.

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Other labeling techniques are also conceivable. A preferred marking technique is based on the use of laser beam emitting means to apply the intended marking to the trunk, for example in the form of a bar code or otherwise. Many of the laser marking means may be arranged in a matrix form as described above for mechanical embodiments. Of course, in addition to laser technology, other radiation energy can be used for labeling purposes.

It is also possible to design the marking device to apply the marking information to a separate carrier which is further applied to a log or piece of wood. It could be, for example, a tape provided with marking information in the form of a bar code or other code.

FIG. 13 illustrates how a special cleaning device can be provided at the inlet to the saw to clean the log of contamination, snow or ice, which could otherwise make it difficult to read the marking information. For example, the cleaning device may be a steam shower. Of course, if the marking information is applied only to the end of the wood unit, it is sufficient to carry out the cleaning operation only at that end.

It will be appreciated that such a reading and reading device 19 and 20, as shown in FIG. 6, need not, of course, be provided in conjunction with a saw or the like. Such a reading and reading device could be arranged in other places where it is necessary to sort the logs or pieces of wood according to the marking on them. So any buyer could be supplied with the logs or pieces of wood he needs. The labeling technique generally means that each individual log or piece of wood can be processed individually in the logging system described with reference to Fig. 5, so that the buyer has a better prospect of actually receiving the wood that is best suited for its area of use.

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Fig. 14 shows a mining machine which, as mentioned above, is provided with a positioning device 5. The crane used in FIG. 14 has a somewhat different construction than that shown in FIG. 4. The positioning device 5 in the embodiment of FIG. 4, as in the embodiment of FIG. 14 ' The positioning device 5 also includes means for determining the position of the mining device 3 with respect to the positioning unit 27. Since the position of the unit 27 is known, and the relative position of the unit 27 a of the logging device 3 can also be determined, the actual position of the tree located in the logging device 3 can therefore also be determined.

The positioning means of the logging device 3, relative to the positioning unit 27, consists of a rangefinder 28, for example of the laser type, which allows measuring the distance from the rangefinder to the tree trunk retained in the logging device 3. When the rangefinder 28 is combined with an angle sensor. between the two mutually movable parts of the crane arms and also with the directional sensor (compass) on the crane or on the cab, the distance and direction of the extraction device 3 relative to the unit 27 can be determined very precisely. with the data in the mining machine computer so that the driver could compare the actual position of the mining equipment 3 with the desired position, according to the mining instructions. This would make it much easier for the driver to find the trees to be left out according to the logging instructions.

A somewhat different type of mining machine is shown in Fig. 15. The actual vehicle is also considered to have a positioning unit 27 and a rangefinder 28. The rangefinder 28 serves

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44 to measure the distance between the trunk and the crane part 29, which is only rotatably disposed relative to the vehicle. In the case that the part 29 and the cab of the vehicle, ie the part where the positioning unit 27 is mounted, are not rotatable relative to each other but rotate as a whole about a vertical axis, only one sensor, ie compass, is required however, if part 29 were rotatably arranged about a vertical axis relative to the cabin, an additional angle sensor would be required between the part 29 and the rest of the vehicle.

FIG. 16 shows an alternative arrangement wherein the positioning device 5 consists of two units 27 and 32, respectively. 27 'for positioning. As can be seen, the unit 27 is arranged on the vehicle cab while the unit 27 'is located on the crane.

The presence of such two positioning units which are suitably connected to a computer 8 located in the mining machine and capable of evaluating the signals from these positioning units means that the direction of the crane can also always be determined, even during its movement. This embodiment has, as in the previous embodiment, a rangefinder 28. This means that the only other sensing means required to unambiguously determine the position of the log that is located in the mining equipment is an angle sensor 30, between the two outermost parts of the crane arms. In this context, it should be pointed out that the second positioning unit 27 should not be placed too close to the mining equipment 3, since there is a risk that it will be damaged and that it will be further covered by branches, needles and leaves.

The alternative arrangement shown in Fig. 17 again has a positioning device 5 with a positioning unit 27 on the vehicle cabin. In this alternative version ”• * • 99 • 9 φφφφ

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21, it is contemplated that each hinge on the crane will be provided with an angle sensor. This also applies to the connection between the crane and the vehicle. This arrangement must be further complemented by a directional sensor, i.e. a compass for. determining the direction of the crane relative to the position determining unit 27.

Figure 18 schematically illustrates how the rangefinder 28 shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16 could perform an additional function, namely, as a scanner to scan trees to be harvested before. by cutting the trees. Such a scanner, for example of the laser type, is suitably coupled to the mining machine control unit to provide scanning information that can be used by the control unit to determine cross-section or cross-section prediction. Fig. 18 schematically illustrates how image information relating to adjacent trees and generated by the scanner 28 can be used as a basis to provide an image of a cross-section, after processing a suitable signal in a computer, adjacent to the corresponding trees. 18), and quality classes may also be determined.

The cross-sectional prediction (scan) provided by the scanner 28 could be compensated or adjusted by an adequate comparison with the measurement result of a given height, as previously assessed by standing forest trees, relative to individual trees. This means that the driver of the logging machine could get a much more accurate idea of the cross-section from the control unit using a computer in the logging machine.

It should be emphasized that the use of the invention is of course not limited to the type of mining machine shown in the drawing. The invention is therefore also applicable to harvesting machines in which a so-called felling head is arranged in the crane, i.e. a unit which can cut and lay down the tree, which is then stored by the crane.

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22 to a processing device arranged on the chassis of the vehicle, which normally comprises both branching and cutting means. Thus, in such a machine, the cutting head is considered equivalent to the above-described mining equipment, in the sense that the position of the cutting head and its position must be determined in the field. position determines the position of the tree. In other words, it is absolutely irrelevant to the inventive idea whether an additional processing device, in addition to the felling part for the trees, is combined with the felling part, i.e. fastened to the crane, or instead is arranged on the vehicle chassis so that. the trees are “stored by the crane in the processing part.

Figure 19 schematically illustrates a possible embodiment of the invention. A cross-sectional computer 8 is described hereinbefore. On the mining machine 1, the computer equipment 31 as a whole is indicated. In addition to the cross-sectional computer 8, the computer equipment comprises a further computer 32 adapted to obtain position information corresponding to the actual position of the mining machine from one or two units 27, 27 present. 'GPS. Reference numeral 28 'indicates one or more scanners or scanners. similar devices, for determining distance, respectively. scanning the condition of a part of the forest in front of the harvester driver. Reference numeral 30 is schematically indicated by means, etc., for determining an angle as previously described.

With the logging process, the cross-sectional computer 8 registers the quality and size of the logs or pieces of wood. The next computer 32 determines the position of the mining equipment using the information received from the components 27-30. A further computer 32 can now, by means of the marking device 2, apply the aforementioned marking to a log or a piece of wood, in particular in the form of a code. This code is connected with the computer 32 to the characteristic data of the log or piece of wood produced by the computer 8 for determining the cross-section. This data is stored by computer 32.

Units 27, 27 receives ^from the GPS satellite 33 from signals required for position determination or the like and additional signals required for position determination. .

The other computer 32 as well as the cross-section determination computer 8 are adapted to be able to communicate wirelessly, via a transmitter 34 connected to antenna 34a, with a transmitter 35 which also includes an antenna 36 and is connected to a base computer 38 Thus, the data can be wirelessly transmitted to the base computer 38 from the computer 32 on the mining machine. The data received by the base computer 38 is stored in one or more databases belonging to one or more second computer equipment 37. Such second computer equipment 37 may be distributed in an appropriate number throughout the territory. The operation center 17 described with reference to FIG. 5 is indicated herein in connection with the base computer 38. Thus, the operation center 17 can receive from the base computer 38 the data required for purposes, evaluation and control. Further, a forest planning scheduling unit 39, i.e., a unit intended to supply forest maps, logging plans, etc., to the base computer 38, is indicated. These may be fed wirelessly to the logging machine and may be used to guide the logger driver, e.g. display 40 or the like, so that the mining machine is controlled automatically according to the received data. The data should therefore be accurate enough to allow the logging machine to move automatically in the field while being driven, and adapted to automatically harvest trees that are intended for logging.

In FIG. 19 it is also indicated that a second satellite 41 may be used to establish a connection between the base computer 38 and the first computer equipment 31 on the mining machine.

Also shown in FIG. 19 is a saw 42 equipped with the aforesaid sensing device, i.e., a read and read device 19 and 20. It is contemplated that the saw 42 is equipped with a third computer device 43, with a computer 44 receiving information obtained from the sensing device. that is, from the reader 19 and 20, which it further transmits to the base computer 38, with the possibility of a wireless connection 45. Therefore, the base computer 38 obtains from the saw 42 information about the log or piece of wood coming to the saw 42 and its properties, the data stored in the base computer 38 may be supplemented, respectively. That is, there is a possibility, for example, to compare the mining plan with the yield of the respective trunk actually achieved at the saw 42 so that weak links in the production chain can be identified. The computer 44 at the sawmill 42 may be coupled to the marking device 46 and the sorting device 47. The boards or groups of planks formed at the sawmill 42 may be marked, by means of the marking device 46, in the form of code that can be associated with the tree location data. in the forest where the planks come from, the quality and dimensions information, etc. The sorting device 47 associated with the computer 44 is designed to be controlled by the computer £, so that the planks originating from a particular tree or group of trees are composed to a package or to another plank file so as to provide the conditions for tagging that file with the code just described.

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The system described in Fig. 19 allows continuous and automatic data exchange between said computer equipment. In addition to the facts just described, it should be pointed out that the computer 32 on. mining machine would. moreover, it could store information regarding the location at which logs or pieces of wood were stowed by a logging machine for subsequent weighing by the driver of the vehicle, via wireless transmission from the computer 32 or, if the data was transferred to the basic computer 38, and may provide a basis for driving the vehicle to a location where logs or pieces of wood are stored for removal.

The system described in FIG. 19 allows continuous control of mining from the operating center 17, i.e., the mining operations can be controlled over a very long distance from the operating center 17.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, it should be stressed that:. it would be possible to determine the position of the mining equipment relative to the positioning unit, arranged on the mining machine, by any scanning techniques such as video photogrammetry and other video techniques, etc. It should be emphasized in general that many modifications are offered to those skilled in the art. these basic inventive ideas.

Claims (43)

1. A method of forest harvesting by means of a logging machine comprising a vehicle and a logging device mounted thereon, wherein the characteristics of the relevant part of the forest before logging are registered, analyzed and processed into a database having high geographical accuracy and high accuracy of the forest condition characteristics , a logging plan based on this database and a logging result compared to a logging plan is carried out, wherein the first computer equipment is arranged on the vehicle, which is adapted to register the quality and / or size of the logs or pieces harvested, is carried out by means of a positioning device arranged on the mining machine, with the possibility of determining, by means of wirelessly receivable. signals, position of the logging machine or logging equipment, the data relating to the position of the logging machine or logging equipment are coordinated by the first computer equipment with data related to the quality and / or size of the logs or pieces of wood, the coordinated data being transmitted to the second computer equipment containing said database, the coordinated data being used as a basis for correcting the mining plan, and further for extracting with the second computer equipment. 2. A method of forest harvesting by means of a logging machine consisting of a vehicle and logging equipment mounted thereon, in which the characteristics of the relevant part of the forest before logging are registered, analyzed and processed into a database having high geographical accuracy and high accuracy of forest condition characteristics , then the plan is implemented - 27 «9 9 * · · * '# · · ♦ • 9 9 9 9 * ··· 9 9 9 · 1 9 9 9 * 9 9 9 · · · · · 9 9 9.9 9 99 9. 99 9 · 99 mining based on this database, characterized in that the extraction is carried out by means of a positioning device arranged on the mining machine, with the possibility of determining, by means of wirelessly acceptable signals, the position of the mining machine or the mining plant, The forest in front of the driver and contained in the database-based logging plan shall be presented to the logger driver along with an indication of the logging design using the first computer equipment arranged on the logging machine. The method of claim 2, wherein the first computer equipment is adapted to automatically control the mining machine for mining according to the mining design. 4, A method of forest harvesting by means of a logging machine comprising a vehicle (2), a logging device (3) mounted on said vehicle, computer equipment (31) arranged on a vehicle, for registering the quality and / or size of the logs or pieces to be harvested and a marking device (9) provided on the vehicle for applying the markings (13) to the logs (10) or pieces of wood obtained from trees, characterized in that the position of the logging machine is determined by means of at least one device (5) for determining a position provided on a harvesting machine, the positioning device (5) being arranged to be able to determine the position of the harvesting machine by means of external, wirelessly acceptable signals, in conjunction with tree felling, wherein at least one log (10) or piece of wood; obtained from the tree, is marked by means of a marker device (9), positional information or a code by means thereof if this log (10) or piece of wood is connectable to position information, position information or the code used Fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc fcfc In connection with the quality and / or size data relating to the relevant timber or pieces of wood. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the log (10) or piece of wood is also marked with information relating to quality and / or size. Method according to claim 5, characterized by: The method of claim 1, wherein, in the event that a plurality of pieces of wood are obtained from the tree, each individual piece is marked with information relating to its location in the tree trunk. Method according to claims 4 to 6, characterized in that information relating to the buyer and / or the seller of an individual log or piece of wood is stored, the log or piece of wood being combined with the information concerning the buyer and / or seller using location information or code. Method according to claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the marking is carried out by means of a marking technique coming into contact with a log or a piece of wood, such as stamping, cutting, drilling, stamping, etc. Method according to claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the marking is carried out by means of contactless marking techniques, such as radiation energy, ink jet spraying, etc. Method according to claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the positioning information of the mining machine relates to the position of the mining equipment of the mining machine. ♦ φ. φφφφ - 29 • φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ φ · · · · · · · 11. Method according to claims 4 to 10, v y z n a C c and s e that trunk labeling, or piece wood se done on its end .. 12. Method according to claims 4 to 10, v y z n a C c and s e wherein said marking is performed on a portion of the peripheral surface of the log or piece of wood, with the possibility of removing the bark from said portion. Method according to claims 4 to 12, characterized in that the data determined during harvesting concerning the location of the log in the forest stand, further the quality, dimensions and possible placement of a piece of wood in the log are stored for evaluation purposes and compared with forecasts on mining yields, which are made before mining. The method according to claims 1 to 13, characterized in that before harvesting, the evaluation of standing forest trees is carried out in respect of individual trees or relatively small wooded areas in the area to be harvested or pruned by remote analysis. such as aircraft. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the logging is controlled by said evaluation of standing forest trees, using data generated for the logging machine, during which logging of timber according to the currently required quality and dimensions is preferred. The method according to claims 4 to 15, wherein the obtained logs or pieces of wood are cut in a sawmill, characterized in that the woman saws the markings of the individual logs. 9,999,9999 9,999 · 9 11 111 9 9 11111 · · · · · · · · · · · · · 19 9 9 9 9 11 - 30 or pieces of wood and shall be stored together with information on the log or piece of wood, such as quality and / or size, and / or its other characteristics, and / or the extract from the log or piece of wood from sawing, used to evaluate or correct processed mining forecasts. A method for sawing logs or pieces of wood according to the method of claims 4 to 16, characterized in that it is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of wood. characterized in that, before cutting, the marking of individual logs or pieces of wood is scanned and stored, and boards of such logs or pieces of wood are provided with a marking containing at least information on the place of origin of the log in the forest contained in the database on the location of the trunk in the forest. . A method for cutting logs or pieces of wood according to the method of claims 4 to 16, characterized in that prior to cutting, the end surface of the individual logs or pieces of wood is scanned, and information relating thereto is registered and stored. shape, for example. bark diameter and thickness, and / or growth, e.g. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that analyzes and predictions are carried out on forest growth over a period of time, supported by this shape and / or growth information, in the forest area from which the logs or pieces of wood originate. or comparisons are made with a mining plan prepared prior to mining. ♦ - 31 · · 1 9. 1 9 ♦ * 9. · · · · t t t t t t t 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 11 11 A method according to claims 4 to 19, characterized in that the trees to be harvested by means of a logging machine are scanned before being felled by a scanner arranged on the logging machine, wherein the scanning information is used as a guide for the cross-section or for cross-section prediction. A forestry harvesting system comprising timber harvesting by means of a logging machine (1) consisting of a vehicle (2), a logging device (3) mounted on the vehicle (1), a marking device (9) arranged on the vehicle (1), wherein the marking device (9) is arranged to apply the marking (13) to at least one log (10) or piece of wood, obtained from a tree, and computer equipment (31) arranged on a vehicle, 31) is arranged to control a marking device for marking a log or piece of wood, characterized in that at least one positioning device (5) is provided on the logging machine for determining the position of the logging machine by means of external wirelessly receivable signals, (31) is arranged to control the marking device (9) for marking the log or piece earlier The position information or code by which the log (10) or piece of wood is connectable to the position information stored in the database, based on the position information received from the position determining device (5). An assembly according to claim 21, characterized in that the logging machine is provided with means for determining or introducing information regarding the quality and / or dimension of the log or piece of wood, the computer equipment (31). is arranged to control the marking device (9) for marking - 32 toto 4 • 4 • to to to to to * * * * * toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto toto To a log or log of quality and size information or to register this information in conjunction with a log or log using the code indicated. System according to claims 21 and 22, characterized in that the logging machine is provided with means for automatically determining or manually feeding information regarding the location of the respective piece of wood in the log, the computer equipment (31) being arranged to control the marking machine. a device (9) for marking a piece of wood with this location information, or for registering this location information in connection with said piece of wood, by means of said code. System according to claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the computer equipment (31) is provided with means for receiving information relating to the buyer and / or seller of the individual log or piece of wood, the computer equipment (31). is arranged to control a marking device (9) for marking a log or piece of wood with this information concerning the buyer and / or the seller,. or to register this information in conjunction with said log or piece of wood using said code. System according to claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the computer equipment (31) is adapted to determine and register the position of the logging equipment at the time of unloading the processed logs or pieces of timber from the logging equipment, the position information being stored in a database or a data carrier for use in the subsequent weighing of these logs or pieces of wood by means of a vehicle. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 33 Assembly according to claims 21 to 25, characterized in that the positioning device (5) is controlled according to a GPS-global positioning system. An assembly according to claims 21 to 26. characterized in that the marking device (9) is used on a logging device (3) of a logging machine for marking pieces of wood in connection with a log processed in the logging device (3). Assembly according to claims 21 to 27, characterized in that the marking device (9) is arranged to operate with contact marking technology such as stamping, cutting, drilling, stamping, etc. System according to claims 21 to 27, characterized in that the marking device (9) is arranged to mark logs or pieces of wood by non-contact marking technique such as radiation energy, for example by laser, ink jet spraying, etc. System according to claim 28, characterized in that the marking device (9) consists of a plurality of marking means (16) for contacting the log or piece of wood, the marking means (16) being selectively displaceable between the active marking positions and inactive, resting positions, wherein the designated marking information for the log or piece of wood is provided together by computer equipment according to the desired marking information. wttrvw & nsrs * ?! - 34 ·· 0 * • · f · f · · 000 0 · 000 0 00 000 00 • 0 0 0 0 0 0 Assembly according to claim 30, characterized in that the marking means (16) are. designed as stamping means, stamping means or drilling means. A system according to claim 31, characterized in that the marking device (9) has means (24) for supplying the marking ink (16) to the marking means (16). Assembly according to claim 28, characterized in that the marking device (9) is arranged to form a carrier provided with the marking information and to apply the carrier to a log or a piece of wood. Assembly according to claim 33, characterized in that the support consists of an adhesive tape with marking information, for example in the form of a bar code. System according to claim 29, characterized in that the marking device (9) is provided with one or more lasers for applying the marking information to a log or a piece of wood. Assembly according to claim 28, characterized in that the marking device (9) consists of a carrier provided with marking means, the carrier being designed as a rotating means (15). System according to claims 21 to 36, characterized in that the marking device (9) is arranged to apply a marking to one end of the log or pieces of wood. • 0 ♦ · · · · · · · · · · 0 0 000 0 0000 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 · 0 0 0 · 00 0 0 · • 00 0 0 00 0 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - 35 An assembly according to claims 21 to 37, characterized in that the marking device (9) is arranged to apply markings on a portion of the peripheral surface of the log or piece of wood. with the possibility of removing the bark from said part. System according to claims 21 to 38, characterized in that said first computer equipment (31) is arranged to wirelessly transfer data determined during extraction to a database (38) in the second computer equipment (37), the data relating to the location of the log in the forest, the quality, the dimensions and the possible location of the log in the log, for subsequent comparison with the pre-harvest forecasts of the outcome. The assembly of claims 21 to 39, wherein the assembly. the assembly further comprising a saw (42) for sawing logs or pieces of wood into boards, characterized by being provided with a sensing device (19, 20) for sensing the markings of individual logs or pieces of wood before sawing and storing the marking information, further provided with a third computer equipment (43) connected to said saw (42) arranged to control another marking device (46) for providing boards or groups of boards from a respective log or piece of wood with a marking containing at least information on the place of origin of the tree in the forest , or a code that can be used to connect this information to these boards) System according to claim 40, characterized in that the sensing device (19, 20) is arranged to sense the end surface of the log or piece of wood before cutting, and - 36 • 4 · · 44 44 44 44 4 4,444 44444 4,444 · 4 4 444 44 444 44 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 44 44 44 44 44 44 to register and store information from this scan relating to the shape, for example, bark diameter and thickness, and / or growth, for example, the annual ring thickness. System according to claim 41, characterized in that it is provided with a device for carrying out analyzes and predictions regarding forest growth during a period of time, in the forest area from which the logs or pieces of wood originate, by means of this shape information, and / or growth. System according to claims 21 to 42, characterized in that a scanner (28) is provided on the mining machine. to scan the tree to be harvested before. by cutting the respective tree, the scanner (28) being. connected to the first computer equipment (31) for transferring the scanning information to the computer equipment, the scanning information being used by the computer equipment (31) as a guide for the cross-section or for the cross-section prediction. Assembly according to claims 21 to 43, characterized in that the positioning device (5) on the mining machine is provided with at least one positioning unit (27) located on the mining machine vehicle and also provided with means on the mining machine for determining the position of the mining device (3) with respect to the positioning unit (27). The system of claim 44, distinguishing í se by means of determination of mining position equipment (3) to the unit Italy (27) for positioning • consists from a rangefinder, means for Determination of angle, from directional indicators (compasses) and / or video photogrammetry • · • ··· - 37 • 0 • 00 • 0 0 · 00 000 00 0 0 0 · 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 and / or from another positioning unit (27 '). A forestry harvesting system comprising timber harvesting by means of a logging machine (1) consisting of a vehicle (2), a logging equipment (3), and computer equipment (31) arranged on a vehicle, characterized in that: at least one positioning device (5) for determining the position of the mining machine by means of external wirelessly receivable signals is provided in the mining machine, the computer equipment (31) being adapted to determine and register the position of the mining machine (3) and such location information is stored in a database or on a data carrier, for use in the subsequent weighing of individual strains by a vehicle.